Movie Review: The Last Jedi

WARNING: This review may contain spoilers.

After the exhilarating ride that was Star Wars: The Force Awakens, we were all at the edge of our seats wondering what was going to happen next. What will Luke do? Will Rey’s parents be revealed? Who is Snoke, exactly? When will Kylo Ren stop being an emo? And much, much more.. It was up to Rian Johnson to decide the next sequence of events. For a director who isn’t big, (the only notable films he’s made are Brick and Looper) could he possibly give us the answers and excitement we were hoping for and make those two long years of waiting worth it?

In my opinion, I think Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the most polarizing Star Wars film yet.

Before I get into this, I’d like to mention that this film is not without positives. The action sequences, settings, and cinematography were stunning; this is the most beautifully shot Star Wars film so far. The action sequences kept you at the edge of your seat and provided relief from the slow-moving plot, all while John Williams’ excellent score only added to the already exciting action. The planets we see in this movie, while not all that different from others (except for one, which I’ll mention later), were nice to look at and improved the vibe of the film.

My main issue with this film is that overall,  almost nothing is explained or happens. Which, too me, is very surprising, considering its two and a half hours long. Almost all the questions and theories shown in The Force Awakens were completely subverted or, at the very least, barely explained. In addition, there are quite a few nonsense subplots scattered throughout, most of which end up accomplishing nothing, and the characters in these subplots only just learn something from their actions. Furthermore, there are some very strange decisions thrown in this movie, one of them being the casino planet, which not only gave me prequel flashbacks, but also looked awful and did not fit in with the general theme of Star Wars.

In conclusion, The Last Jedi is not terrible, nor is it the worst Star Wars film. However, with all the weird decisions, nonsense subplots, and little to no character accomplishments, I can’t help but wish this film had been handled better. Although I am still looking forward to the next addition to the franchise, I can’t help but wonder if waiting two more years is really worth it. But, as about 20 different characters say throughout the entirety of this film, there’s still hope.

Final rating: 7/10